“Memorial Day Wedding”

It was the most lovely August day for Nicole and David’s Memorial Day wedding weekend! Much warmer than anyone anticipated, but that didn’t stop them from the fun, celebrating their big day with family and friends.

Starting the night before with the rehearsal, the celebration traversed the city, from Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, to downtown, to Lincoln Park and finally to the Gold Coast for their reception at the historic Germania Place, a Chicago landmark.

“It’s a (my) family affair”

Full disclosure: I know the groom-to-be here very well. In fact, I’ve known him his whole life…he’s my youngest brother. And he’s getting married!!! I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry, but I’m tearing up just typing those words. I am so full of love and happiness and excitement for Jason and his fiancée Shelley that I could just BUST!

We were lucky enough to sneak in a mini engagement session a few weeks ago, on a blustery, miserable, rainy Sunday afternoon – perfect! An engagement session was something I really wanted to do with them, have a little fun, make some photos of them that, hopefully, they will enjoy for years to come (as I’m writing this, they haven’t seen the images yet, so I’m crossing my fingers that they find something in here they like…!). It’s a gift that, as a photographer, I never, ever get tired of giving. And it’s even more special when it’s for family.

“Roses are Red…”

Hellooo, February! Hearts and flowers, chocolates and champagne, Be Mine and Valentine’s Day. It’s also American Heart Month. What better time to showcase the beautiful Red Lacquer Room at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago?

It was a crisp, clear winter day for Theresa and Eduardo’s celebration and everything was sparkling – from the suites at the Palmer House to the lights at the church to State Street and Michigan Avenue and, of course, the Red Lacquer Room itself. It was magical!

“Amour + Miłość“

It had been just over a year since I photographed Yvonne and Greg’s engagement session, and now here they were! Taking their walk down the aisle to become Mr. and Mrs.

Both come from strong ethnic communities: Yvonne’s Polish, and Greg French. I really enjoyed how they managed to blend and pay homage to both of their ethnicities, from the Sausage Cart and Ketel One on every table to the Parisian-inspired menu and details at the reception.

“Three-day weekend.”

Holiday weddings can be a lot of fun! A wedding over a 3-day weekend provides guests an opportunity to explore your location, take a mini-vacation… and lets you extend the celebration of one of the biggest times in your life over several days. And one of the most popular holiday weekends for weddings is Labor Day. I myself got married on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend and we had four days of merriment!

So, here’s a little celebration of two Labor Day weekend couples with whom I’ve had the honor of working. Each chose to express themselves in very different ways – vive la différence!